Real-life Friends

　 Most people know the saying: A man's best friend is his dog; and that Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. However, dogs can’t offer advice or make you a cup of tea when you need one; and precious stones are cold comfort when you need a hug, and a shoulder to cry on.

What are Friends?

　 There are many ways to describe a friend. Friends are the family you can choose for yourself. Friends are a much better medication（医疗）than medication is, and people who spend time with friends are happier with their lives as they are less lonely.

　 A good friend will put you to bed when you’re lost consciousness. Ensure you’re not laid on your back, and remember to remove your shoes. You should be able to tell a true friend anything without being judged by them.

　 Friendships which begin due to location, for example, next-door neighbors or school classmates, rarely survive transitions such as moving to other neighborhoods, schools, colleges, jobs, immigration, and so forth. Attend a school reunion and you’ll wonder what on earth you ever had in common with these people other than your age, although it is possible to have a friendship with someone you met at school. Mutually maintain it, and eventually become godparent or “uncle” to each others’ children.

How Friendships are Maintained

　 To have a friend you must also be a friend and be prepared to be there for them should they need you. Failure in this respect would label you a fair-weather friend and you would most probably be abandoned.

Boundaries

　 Like every other relationship you have in your life, there are boundaries you shouldn’t cross with your friends. One of those is money: Don’t lend to your friend and don’t ask for a loan yourself.

　 Friends are unpaid counselors（顾问）,but phoning them at 2 am because you’re awake and would like a chat is not a good idea. Neither is phoning them at 10 am if you know they’re a shift-worker. Friends are people who need some space and quiet time. Generally, it all boils down to mutual respect and understanding.

　 It’s not a good plan to interrupt your friend while they’re on a date/on holiday/attending an orchestral recital/at a funeral.

Trust

　 Trust is the most vital element in any relationship. If you’re not trustworthy then you probably don’t deserve friends, so try to remember that you promised to see that dull film with them or applaud them at their first attempt at a karaoke or an Open Mic night. If you have promised to look after their clothes while they go for a bet, then make sure you do. You might like to carry enough cash to help them out too, as you never know when that situation might be reversed.

　 Don’t lie to your friend: if they know you well they’ll know you’re lying or will at least be suspicious. If you find out something that you know will hurt your friend, be tactful（圆滑）. Do they need to know? Would they appreciate knowing? Can you tell their mum so she can break the news? Cowardly, yes, but mums usually have a much better way with words. Remember, if you do decide to tell them and it’s painful, they will probably need some time alone, after lashing out at（抨击）the closest thing—you. In that case, play the waiting game. Then don’t beat them up about it afterwards.

A Friend for Life

　 Strong friendships can last a lifetime with care and consideration. The benefits are multi-folds; you’ve got someone to share birthday cake with, and especially for single people, a pub meal or a trip to the cinema is no fun alone, is it? Plus it’s always nice to know there’s someone there for you, as you’re there for them, through the bad times as well as the good. Altogether now: Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends.

55. According to the passage we can learn that good friends should be ___________.

　 A. paid counselors　　 B. money lenders　 C. good listeners　　　 D. next-door neighbors

56. The author brings in the topic by ___________.

　 A. giving negative examples　　　 B. raising a relative question

C. describing a natural fact D. explaining what friends are

57. The underlined phrase “a fair-weather friend” in Para 6 probably refers to a friend who _____.

　 A. likes only fine weather B. will always stand by you

C. likes to make friends in fine weather　　　　　　 D. will run away from you when you need help badly

58. What can be inferred from the passage?

　 A. The more friends you have, the happier you will be.

B. Medication is also a better way to maintain strong friendships.

C. You may lose a friend if you are always telling lies to him or her.

D. We should only make friends with those having similar interests.

59. From the last paragraph we can learn that the author ____________.

　 A. doubt whether there are true friends and friendship

B. has lost a lot of good friends without any reasons

C. has already benefited a great deal from his friends

D. has been tired of making friends with single people

60. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

　 A. How to make friends.　　　　 　　　　　　　　 B. Friends and friendship.

C. Ways to maintain friendship.　 　　　　　　　　 D. Boundaries of friends.

One day, when I was working as a psychologist in England，an adolescent boy showed up in my office. It was David. He kept walking up and down restlessly, his face pale, and his hands shaking slightly. His head teacher had referred him to me.  "This boy has lost his family," he wrote.  "He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others, and I'm very worried about him. Can you help?”

         I looked at David and showed him to a chair. How could I help him? There are problems psychology doesn’t have the answer to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and sympathetically.

         The first two times we met, David didn't say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children's drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon——in complete silence and without looking at me. It's not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.

         Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed， took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?

         "Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with," I thought. "Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering.”Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.

         "Is your turn," he said.

         After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times about his biking with some friends, and about his plan to get into university. Now he had really started to live his own life.

         Maybe I gave David something. But I also learned that one——without any words——can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, and an ear that listens.

1.When he first met the author, David         .

A. felt a little excited

B.looked a little nervous

C. walked energetically

D. showed up with his teacher

2.As a psychologist, the author         .

A. was able to describe David's problem

B. was skeptical about psychology

C. was ready to listen to David

D. was sure of handling David's problem

3.David enjoyed being with the author because he________.

A. wanted to ask the author for advice

B. bear the author many times in the chess game

C. liked the children’s drawings in the office

D. need to share sorrow with the author

4.What can be inferred about David?

A．He recovered after months of treatment. 

B．He liked biking before he lost his family.

C．He went into university soon after starting to talk.

D．He got friends in school before he met the author.

5.What made David change?

A．His teacher’s  help.

B．The author’s  friendship.

C．The author’s silent communication with him.

D．His exchange of letters with the author.

GUESS what’s making 9 million US teenagers scream at the top of their voices this summer? It's not the Hulk or Iron man hitting someone across a room, but the catchy beat of the music in Disney's latest TV movie Camp Rock, which came out in the US on June 20. The show attracted more than 8.9 million viewers.

So how does Camp Rock attract so many viewers? One reason is that it features the hugely popular boy band the Jonas Brothers, whom all the girls seem to adore.

But what's the story?

Connect Three is a rock group. One member, Shane Gray (Joe Jonas）needs to get rid of his bad boy rocker image, so he's sent by fellow band members Nate (Nick Jonas）and Jason (Kevin Jonas） to a music camp as a guest instructor（指导）. The idea is the camp will help him clean up his act.

       There he meets Mitchie Torres (Demi Lovato）, a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice and a driving ambition（志向）to be a pop singer. However, she can only afford to be at the expensive camp by helping her mom work in the mess hall (食堂）between classes.

       When Shane overhears Mitchie singing from behind closed doors, he sets out to find the girl with the beautiful voice.

      One group of teenagers was really eager to watch the movie. The kids took their positions on the floor to countdown to show time. One of them, Leah Karrels, 16, even sang the movie's theme（主题歌）, We Rock. She explained that she's seen the trailer (预告片） so many times she knows the words by heart.

       The girls cheered when the movie began, and for the next two hours the only time they got up was to run for chocolate ice cream cake from the freezer.

       "I'm sure this is going to knock High School Musical off the shelves in stores. This is the next big thing," said Leah.

1．Which of the following is true according to the passage?

       A．Camp Rock will come out on June, 20

       B．The Jonas Brothers is a boy band loved by girls

       C．Shane Gray in the movie has bad boy image all the time

       D．Leah Karrels has seen the TV movie many times

2．We can conclude from the passage that        .

       A．This summer only “Camp Rock” attracted young people very much

       B．The story is about a classic music group—Connect Three

       C．The main actress is a pop singer in the movie

       D．The passage doesn’t tell us the end of the story of the movie

3．It can be inferred from the passage that       

       A．Kids learn to countdown to show time after watching the movie

       B．Leah Karrels could sing the theme of the music

       C．The girls loved the movie so much that they even hardly wanted to get up

       D．Leah Karrels believes the movie will be sold on the shelves in stores

4．Which is closest to the meaning of the underlined word “adore”?

       A．love                    B．look up to            C．respect                D．envy

5．What’s the best title of the passage?

       A．Jonas Brothers                                    B．The Story About Connect Three

       C．The Trailer Of Camp Rock             D．Summer of ‘Rock’

GUESS what’s making 9 million US teenagers scream at the top of their voices this summer? It's not the Hulk or Iron man hitting someone across a room, but the catchy beat of the music in Disney's latest TV movie Camp Rock, which came out in the US on June 20. The show attracted more than 8.9 million viewers.

So how does Camp Rock attract so many viewers? One reason is that it features the hugely popular boy band the Jonas Brothers, whom all the girls seem to adore.

But what's the story?

Connect Three is a rock group. One member, Shane Gray (Joe Jonas）needs to get rid of his bad boy rocker image, so he's sent by fellow band members Nate (Nick Jonas）and Jason (Kevin Jonas） to a music camp as a guest instructor（指导）. The idea is the camp will help him clean up his act.

　 There he meets Mitchie Torres (Demi Lovato）, a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice and a driving ambition（志向）to be a pop singer. However, she can only afford to be at the expensive camp by helping her mom work in the mess hall (食堂）between classes.

　 When Shane overhears Mitchie singing from behind closed doors, he sets out to find the girl with the beautiful voice.

　 One group of teenagers was really eager to watch the movie. The kids took their positions on the floor to countdown to show time. One of them, Leah Karrels, 16, even sang the movie's theme（主题歌）, We Rock. She explained that she's seen the trailer (预告片） so many times she knows the words by heart.

　 The girls cheered when the movie began, and for the next two hours the only time they got up was to run for chocolate ice cream cake from the freezer.

　 "I'm sure this is going to knock High School Musical off the shelves in stores. This is the next big thing," said Leah.

1．Which of the following is true according to the passage?

　 A．Camp Rock will come out on June, 20

　 B．The Jonas Brothers is a boy band loved by girls

　 C．Shane Gray in the movie has bad boy image all the time

　 D．Leah Karrels has seen the TV movie many times

2．We can conclude from the passage that　　　 .

　 A．This summer only “Camp Rock” attracted young people very much

　 B．The story is about a classic music group—Connect Three

　 C．The main actress is a pop singer in the movie

　 D．The passage doesn’t tell us the end of the story of the movie

3．It can be inferred from the passage that　　　

　 A．Kids learn to countdown to show time after watching the movie

　 B．Leah Karrels could sing the theme of the music

　 C．The girls loved the movie so much that they even hardly wanted to get up

　 D．Leah Karrels believes the movie will be sold on the shelves in stores

4．Which is closest to the meaning of the underlined word “adore”?

　 A．love　　　　 B．look up to　 C．respect　　 D．envy

5．What’s the best title of the passage?

　 A．Jonas Brothers　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．The Story About Connect Three

　 C．The Trailer Of Camp Rock　　 D．Summer of ‘Rock’

When I was younger it seemed that the super hero was Batman or Spiderman. As I grew up, I looked to real people with some of these qualities to be my super hero including being strong, honest, friendly, brave, skilled, hardworking, and reliable. The person I think of when I hear these words is my dad.
My dad is one of the toughest people I have ever met. He has been through it all. When I was five, 60 percent of his body was burned. In 1999 he fell from a tree, breaking his arm and shattering his ankle. In 2004, he had a liver transplant (移植) after being on the list for six years after a bad blood transfusion that gave him Hepatitis C. Now, my dad is 45 years old and feels better than he has in 15 years.
My dad is one of the most reliable people I know. Anything I ask of him, he does. Whenever he tells me he is going to do something, it is always done before I get home from work. Whenever I need my dad, he is there. When I was ten and he told me my grandmother was going to die, I felt really down. He was the one there trying to cheer me up.
My dad has worked hard for everything he has. At home, he is always busy doing projects and has painted every room in our house. After our shop was built, he constructed an office you would think a professional built. When I do something stupid, he helps me fix it. Of course, he does his complaining, but I know he likes fixing things just as much as I like tearing them up.
My dad has been one of the greatest parts of my life. I have learned a lot from watching him and I don’t believe I will ever meet anyone like him. I hope when I grow up, I can possess the same qualities as my dad, and have someone look up to me as a good role model. This is why my dad is my hero. 
【小题1】The author describes his father as reliable mainly _________.